Druse militants massacre hundreds of Maronite Christians in Lebanon

06/19/1860 to 06/20/1860

At Deir-al-Qumar in present day south-central Lebanon, militant Druse peasants massacred large numbers of male Maronite Christians. Confict between Druse and Christians had been flaring for weeks, with clashes in Beirut and surrounding areas. Western observers counted around 1,200 in Deir-el-Qumar. By July, violence had spread to Damascus where thousands more Christians were killed, including Europeans. (By John Osborne)